Sherwood Christian Academy’s middle school football dynasty in the making

ALBANY — Four years ago, a handful of ninth-graders at Sherwood Christian Academy refused to let football die. This fall, a band of eighth-graders is proving they were right to save it.

Back then, the program was crumbling. The head coach had resigned, the losses kept coming, and the field felt more like a graveyard than a gridiron. But those freshmen — too proud, too faithful, or maybe just too stubborn — walked into basketball coach Kenny Roberts’ office and asked for one more chance. Roberts said yes.

That yes became the spark that rebuilt Sherwood football. That group won a state championship their first year, finished runner-up as sophomores, captured another title as juniors, and are now undefeated seniors chasing one more before they’re done.

Now, another wave is rising behind them. Sherwood’s middle school team has gone two straight seasons unbeaten, scoring on every offensive possession when the first team was on the field — and never allowing a single point on defense.

“This eighth-grade group has an edge on the current seniors,” said Athletic Director Jay Flynt. “If the GIAA allowed eighth-graders on varsity, 10 of them would already be there. They’ve got excellent athletic ability, but even more impressive, they’ve got their hearts and minds in the right place.”

When Roberts took over four years ago, football was fading from the school’s identity. Helmets collected dust. The field lights stayed dark. But faith — that quiet, stubborn kind — never left. What those boys started has now become a blueprint for everything Sherwood football represents.

Middle school coach Kevin Taylor, who joined the staff two years ago, has carried that blueprint forward. With longtime assistant Nick Priest — a Sherwood graduate who’s been part of the program for 13 years — he’s molded a team that plays like a machine and carries itself like a ministry.

“We’ve been really blessed with strong athletes and great families,” Taylor said. “Coach Flynt and Coach Roberts have backed us completely. It’s all one program now — just different levels wearing the same armor.”

Eighth-grader Bryson Gay remembers when winning felt like a fantasy. “In sixth grade, we only won two games,” he said. “I fumbled a lot and didn’t even want the ball. Coach sent me back out anyway, and I scored my first touchdown. That changed everything.”

Now he shares quarterback duties with Brandon Hemmings and lines up wherever the offense needs him — sometimes under center, sometimes wide. “Our coaches push us really hard, but they also believe in us,” Gay said.

Gay’s story isn’t unique. Across the roster, players who once doubted themselves have become leaders. Along the line, Kayden James has anchored the offense for two years. In the final game of the season, the coaches handed him the ball for the first time. He rumbled through a wall of defenders for the last touchdown of the season.

“Kayden’s done the dirty work for two years,” Taylor said. “He deserved that moment.”

Flynt still smiles when he talks about it. “Watching that play was like watching God part the waters of the Red Sea,” he said. “The defense just moved out of his way.”

James grinned when he heard that. “The coaches push us to the max,” he said. “Everything’s scheduled and fast. We just trust it.”

Coach Nick Priest understands that the middle school role is about more than winning. “We work to help these players develop so that they are prepared when they get to the high school level,” Priest said. “We’ve seen a lot of growth in size and skill levels with this group. They work hard at every practice.”

Under Taylor, practices hum like clockwork. The old laps are gone; conditioning now comes through movement and rhythm — four plays every minute. Repetition replaces running. The pace builds endurance and precision in equal measure.

“We’ve had great chemistry,” Taylor said. “Players make other players better, and that work shows up on Thursdays.”

“These boys connected under great leadership,” Flynt said. “They’re still kids, but they know when to be serious. When they step off that bus now, it’s not hope anymore — it’s expectation.”

Their faith ties it all together. “Their commitment is bigger than football,” Taylor said. “They play for each other, but they also play for something higher.”hristian character makes my job a joy,” Taylor said. “They play for each other and for something higher.”

Four years ago, a few ninth-graders gave Sherwood football a heartbeat. Today, an eighth-grade team is giving it wings.

The seniors who once begged for a season started a movement; the middle schoolers who’ve never lost are building on it. Between them stands a coaching staff that believes discipline and faith are two sides of the same victory.

Sherwood Christian nearly buried football once. Now it’s planting roots for a dynasty — one generation nurturing the next.

And when those young Eagles burst through the banner on Thursday afternoons, they’re not just carrying a football. They’re carrying a legacy.